Planter.



E. M. COLE. PLANTER. APPLICATION FILED JAN.29,1908.

Patented J an. 5, 1909.

2 SHEETSSHBET 1.

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PLANTER.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.29,190B.

I 908,549. Patented Jan.5,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

the same from an elevated verse sectiona PLANTER.

Application filed January 29,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE M. COLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charlotte, in the county of Mecklenburg and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Planter, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to planters and it consists in the novel construction and 3,1".- rangement of its parts as hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide a seed box with a seed separating and dropping mechanism which may be readily converted to operate upon different characters of seed and which effectually performs its function by separating a single seed from the bulk contained within the box and-elevating the seed thus separated and dropping oint within the seed box thereby avoiding t e use of brushes or scrapers for keepin back the bulk of seed, and dispensing with the friction inoi dental to the use of such attachments.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the planter. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the seed box.'

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through a covering wheel used upon the lanter. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are plan views of ifierent forms of seed separating be used in the lplanter, an Fi 7 is a transview of the form of plate shown in Fig. 6 cut on the line 7, 7 thereof. The lanter consists of the frame 1 to the forwar end of which is mounted the draft beam. 2. Said beam is pivoted upon the bolt 3 and is provided at its rear end portion with a slot 4 which receives the forward por- 1 tion of the frame 1. Consequently the said beam may have a limited horizontal swing but is retained against relative vertical movement. By so mounting the draft beam the implement may be more readily maintained in a straight line should the draft animals fail to keep in such a line and the implement may be readily turned at the end of a row and at the same time a compact arrangement of parts is effected.

The standard 5 depends from the'forward portion of the frame 1 and the low oint 6 18 mounted upon said standar T e rear portion of the frame 1 is supported by the cover wheel 7 which is provided with a as 'arnnr enrich.

EUGENE MACON COLE, OF CHARLOTTEQNORTH CAROLINA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lates which may V Eatented Jan. 5, 1909.

1998. Serial No. 4118,22d.

broad concaved rim 8. The arm 9 is pivotally connected to the bolt 10 with the standard 5 and the vertically dis osed blade or furrow opener 11 is fired to t e rear por tion of the said arm 9. The vertically disposedarm12 is also fixed to the blade 11 and the link 13 pivotally connects the-u per end of the arm 12 with the lever 14 w ich is suitably fulcrumed upon the frame 1. The handles 15 are attached at their lower ends to the frame 1 and the braces 16 are mounted upon the frame 1 and connect at their upper ends with the handles 15. The coil spring 17 is connected at its forward end to the lever 14 and at its rear end to one of the braces 16 and is under tension with a tendency to hold the said lever toward the brace. The guide 18 is supported at one end by the upright 19 mounted upon the frame 1 and at its other end by the brace 16. The lever 14 asses vertically through the said guide. T c said guide is provided with a series of perforations 20 any one of which may receive a pin 21 forlimlting the rearward swing or movement of the lever 1 The hangers 22 depend from the brace 23 which is inter osed between the frame 1 and the stander 5. The lateral blades 2 are rigidly supported at the lower ends of the hangers 22 and are so formed as to lie in inclined positions at their forward ends and substantially horizontal positions at their rear end. The said lateral blades lie upon opposite sides of the blade 11 with their inner edges in close contact with the vertical sides of the same. The hangers 25 support the rear portions of the lateral blades 24 and the blade 11 is provided with an upstanding tongueor lug 26 which lies between the hang ers 25 and is connected with the same by means of the bolt and slot connection 27. The fender 28 is mounted upon the rear end of the blade 11.

From the above description it is obvious that as the implement is drawn along the ground the plow point 6 will open a furrow and the blade 11 will cut an' incision in the bottom of the said furrow in which the seed is deposited as will be hereinafter explained. At the same time the lateral blades move along thesurface of the soil andregulate the depth at which the blade 11 will out therein. Should the blade 11 encounter an obstruction, such as a rock or root, the saidblade Will move vertically and ride over the same and again returned 1 the blade 1 tends from the. bottom ofthesaid hopper to and is 37. T e seed separating and dropping plate without subjectin the parts of the implement to the tom of impact with the said obstruction. The said blade may move ver tically by reason of the fact that the arm 9 is pivotally connected with the standard 5 at the point 10. While the movement of the blade 11 is substantially vertical it is in fact in the ath of an arc and as the arm'12 moves with th tudinally and the lever 14 is swung in a orward direction against the tension of the ade '11 passes over an obstruction it 'is' the tension of the spring 17 h to its normal position below the lateral blades 24. As the said lateral blades 24 are stationary and their inner edges are inclose contact with the sides of the blade 11 they have a tendency to keep 11 clean and free of accumulated material as the same moves between the said runners.

acted upon by The fertilizer hopper-29 is mounted upon the .frame 1 and t e fertilizer chute 30 exa point behind the plow 6. Any suitable means or mechanism may be employed within the hopper 29 for forcing or passing the material into the chute 30. The seed box 31 is mounted upon the uprights 19 and is located just behind the hopper 29. The seed box 31 is provided with an inclined bottom 32 which is provided at its middle with a concavit 33 and at its upper portion with a seed out et opening 34. The spindle 35 is j the center of the concavity 33 and located at is disposed at a right an le to the plane of the bottom 32. The beve ed gear wheel 36 is journaled for rotation upon the spindle 35 rovided upon its upper siddwith pins 38 is provided with a central opening 39 which receives the spindle 35 and which is provided at its edge with the recesses 40 for the reception of the pins 37. The washer 41 is located upon the s indle 35 and is held thereon by 'means of t e wing nut 42. The intermediate portion of said washer passes through the opening 39 of the plate 38 and bears against the side of the wheel 36 while the ed e portion of the said washer bears upon t e upper surface of the plate 38 and holds the same in position upon the pins 37. The shaft 43 is journaled for rotation under the bottom 32 and the beveled pinion 44 is fixed to the shaft 43 and passes through an orifice in the portion 33 of the bottom 32 and mesheswith the gear wheel 36.

with

' an upstruck or raised annular portion having the seed orifices 45 and the lower ends of these orifices are preferably flush or in the same plane with the upper surface of the plate. The upper end of the tube or chute e said blade the link 13 is moved lonmade in the soil by the blade 11.

below the bulk of seed carried within the said box and as the seed openings 45 are successively elevated to the upperportion of the bottom 32 they'each recelve and carry up a single seed and when the said -0 enmgs come into registerwith the outlet 34 m the bottom 32 the seed'falls fromthe opening 45 through the outlet 34 into the tube 4.6 from whence it passes behind the fender '28 into the incision When the seed is thus depos1ted in the furrow it is covered by the earth pressed down by the concaved periphery 8 of the wheel 7. In as much as the openings in. the plate 38 separate the seed from the bulk thereof contained within the box 31 and elevate the se arated seed above'the bulk before passing t e same late 38 rotates out of the box an superfluous seeds which may attempt to lo go in an opening 45 which already contains a seed are acted upon by gravity at various points during their u ward movements and slide back over t e plate 38 and into the bulk pf'seed as the opening 45 approaches the highest point In its course. Without the use of brushes or scrapers which attachments add undue and ob3ectionable friction to the proper o eration of the mechanism. Moreover, as t e seeds are not car ried between unyielding faces but are held us, the seeds are separated within 'the openings solely by their own weight there is no da er'of wedging and thus crushing or otherwise injuring them.

The wheel 7 is mounted u on the axle 47 and the sprocket wheel 48 is oosely mounted upon the said axle; Said sprocket wheel is providedat its hub with a clutch member 49. The clutch member 50 is slidably-mounted upon the hub of the wheel 7 and is provided with elongated slots 51 which receive the lugs or splines 52 carried by the hubof the wheel 7. The outer end of the member 50 is adapted to engage and disengage the clutch member 49. The coil spring 53 is housed within the member 50 and bears at one end against the end of the hub of the wheel 7 and at its other end against the member 50. The said s ring is under tension with a tendency to 110 d the clutch member 50 in engage- A ment with theclutch member 49. The member 50 is rovided upon its periphery with an annular llange 54 and the yoke 55 straddles the member 50 and is adapted to bear laterally against the flange 54 -for shifting the member 50 longitudinally a ainst the tension of the spring 53. The rod 56 connects the yoke 55 with a lever 57 fulcrumed to one of periphery and the 0 enings 45 are fan tic cated in a housing 58 and the sprocket chain- 59 passes around the sprocket wheel 48 and a similar sprocket Wheel mounted upon the end of the shaft 43.

In the form of plate as shown in Fig. 5 the seed openings 45 are circular and are designed to receive smooth seed, such as peas or beans. In the form of plate as shown in Fig. 4 the seed openings 45 are elorgated and rovided at their ends with recesses 61. This orm of plate is especially adapted to be used for separating corn or oblanceolate kernels. The portion 60 at the periphery of the plate is of a thickness substantially equal to that of the transverse thickness of the average grain of corn and the recesses 61 receive the kernels with their sides approximately lying in the same planes as the sides of'the portion 60 of the plate.

In the form of the plate as shown in Figs. 6-

and 7 the recesses 45 are located at the peripher of the plate. This form of plate is provi ed with a thickened portion 60 at its provided with recesses 61. owever,

T e portion 60,

is in breadth substantially equal to the breadth of the kernels of corn and the recesses 61 receive the kernels and hold the same so that their edges substantially occupy the same planes as those occupied by the opposite si es of the portion 60. In other words, in the form of the plate as shown in Fig. 4 the seed is received sidewise and retained edgewise while in the form as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the seed is received edgewise and retained sidewise. The latter form of plate retains the seed more securelyagainst the vibration and jarring of the implement in that the seed will have to move a greater distance before its center of gravity can arrive at a oint beyond the sides of theportion 60 of t c said plate.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a planter a seed box having an outlet, and a separating device revoluble in the box for selecting and conveying seeds to the outlet and having one face entirely exposed, said device being mounted to discharge urone face fully exposed and being disposed to discharge the surplus seeds from the selected seeds by gravity over any portion of the'exposed ace of said device prior to the discharge of said selected seeds into the outlet.

3. In a lanter a seed box having an outlet, an inc ined disk therein having its upper face fully exposed and provided with seed receiving openings extending through the disk, saidopenings being disposed to dis charge surplus see s by gravity over the disk at any point thereon prior to reaching the outlet. I

4. In a planter a seed box having an inclined bottom provided with an outlet, and a plate revolubly mounted upon said bottom and having its up er face fully exposed, said face having a see opening extending therethrough, said opening being disposed to discharge surplus seeds by gravity over the plate at any point thereon prior to reaching the outlet. v

5. In a planter a seed box having an inclined bottom provided with an outlet, an inclined plate revolubly mounted upon the bottom and having a seed opening extending therethrough, the upper face of said plate being fully exposed and flush with the ottom end of the opening, said opening being disposed todischarge surplus seeds by gravity over. the plate at any point theredn prior to reaching the outlet.

6. In a planter a seed box having an outlet and an inclined plate revolubly mounted within the box and having a seed 0 ening extending therethrough, the upper ace of said plate being fully exposed flush with the bottom end of the opening, said opening being disposed to discharge surplus seeds by gravity over the face of the plate at any point thereon and prior to reaching the outlet.

7. In a planter a seed box having an inclined bottom provided with an outlet, and an inclined plate revolubly mounted upon said bottom, said plate having a seed opening constantly uncovered and disposed to discharge surplus seeds by gravity over the plate at any point thereon before reaching the outlet, the bottom of said box being shaped to direct seeds into the opening.

8. In a planter a seed box having an outlet, an inclined plate revolubly mounted within the box and having an upstanding marginal portion, there being a seed- 0 ening within said portion disposed to disc arge surplus seeds by gravityprior to reaching the outletithe bottom end of said opening being flush or in the same-plane with the upper face of the plate.

- 9. In a planter a seed box having an outlet, an- ,inclined plate revolubly mounted within the box and having an upstanding marginal portion, there being a seed opening within said portion constantly open at the top and closed at the bottom, said opening being disposed to discharge surplus seeds by gravity and over the face of the plate at any point thereon to the bottom of the box prior to reaching the 'outlet.

10. In a planter a seed-box having an inclined bottom and an outlet, an inclined plate revolubly mounted upon the bottom and having an upstanding mar al portion, there being a seed opening wit in said portion constantly open at the top and one'side and normally closed at the bottom, said openingbeing disposed to discharge surplus seeds onto the face of the plate at any point one side and normally thereon before reaching the outlet, said plate beingdetachably driving mechanism.

11. Ina planter a circular seed dropping plate having an upstanding marginal porconnected to the tion, the bottom face of said marginal por-' tion being in substantially the same plane as the top face of the plate, said marginal portion having1 seed receiving oplenings thereten ing therethroug each open- 1n and ex ing having that wall thereof nearest the center iofthe plate partly removed to constitute a discarding opening.

12. In aplanter the combination with a the concaved portion and meshing with the gear, upstanding projections upon the Wheel, a plate bearing u engaging the ro ections, said plate being slightly shifta le radially in all directions relatively to the projections and bearing upon the bottom of the seed box, there being a seed opening within the plate to convey a seed .to the outlet and to discharge surplus seeds by gravity prior to reaching the outlet. In testimon that I claim the foregoing as my own, I ave hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' EUGENE MACON COLE. Witnesses:

H. FLYNN WOLFE, MARION J. GREEN.

pon the wheel and loosely 

